Ditch side wall cleaner



June 22, 1954 L.. K..scHM|DT 2,681,517 4 D-ITCH SIDE WALL CLEANER Filed April so, 1951 A:e sheets-sheet. 1

June 22, 1954 l.. K. SCHMIDT 2,681,517

DITcH SIDE wALL CLEANER Filed April so, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 -W.. z5 2s INVENTOR layout .sc/amide ATTORNEYS Patented June Y22, 1954 `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

l This invention is directed to, and it is a major object to provide, a tractor mounted, power driven ditch cleaner of novel construction and function. Another important object of the invention is to provide a ditch cleaner which is operative to cleanly shave the weeds and debris from a ditch wall `upon the tractor moving along the corresponding ditch bank, and to discharge the cut `material onto the bank rearwardly of said tractor.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a ditch cleaner, of the type described, which embodies an elongated, endless chain-cutter unit which normally extends from the tractor at a forward and downward incline, and in forwardly diverging or laterally outwardly canted relation to the direction of travel, whereby to engage the adjacent ditch wall in matching relation; said endless chain-cutter unit working with an effective upward and rearward sweeping action on the ditch wall.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel mounting and drive arrangement connecting.r between the endless chain-cutter unit and the tractor; the mount permitting of adjustment of the working position of said endless chain-cutter unit, or its movement to a raised, transport position close along side the tractor.

llt is also an object of the invention to provide a tractor mounted ditch cleaner which is de- -signed for ease and economy of manufacture, and

ready attachment to a tractor, with the endless chain-cutter unit driven from the power take-off shaft of the tractor.

Still another' object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable tractor mounted ditch cleaner, and one w .ich will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

. These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and. relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

l is a side elevation of the ditch cleaner as in use.

2 is a top plan View of the ditch cleaner in use; the endless chain-cutter unit being broken off in part.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view-with the hood removedshowing the mounting and driving connection with the endless chain-cutter unit.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on line --f-l of Fig. l.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the ditch cleaner is adapted to be mounted in connection with a tractor, indicated generally at I; such tractor being fitted, at the rear, with a rearwardly projecting frame 2 having a laterally projecting outrigger boom 3 secured thereto; there being a diagonal suspension brace 4 connected between 2 an elevated point on the tractor and the outer end of said boom 3.

The Outrigger boom t is of such length that it projects at its outer end in overhanging relation to the wall 5 of the ditch bank E along 'which the tractor I is traveling.

An endless chain-cutter unit, indicated generally at l', is mounted at its rear end in connection with the outer end of the boom 3 in the manner as will hereinafter appear, and normally extends at a forward and downward incline into the ditch with suicient outward cant to match the slope of the wall 5 of the ditch bank The endless chain-cutter unit l includes a main longitudinal beam t having a rigid opstanding suspension arm 8 at its forward end portion; such arm including an attachment eye l at its upper end.

A suspension cable II is connected to the eye IG and thence extends upwardly at a laterally inward incline to a sheave I2 on the outer end of an Outrigger boom i3 xed in connection with the front end of the tractor I. The cable Il turns over the sheave I2 and extends downwardly to connection with a front end winch I4 operative to cause lengthening or shortening, at the will of the tractor operator, of said cable I I.

The endless chain-cutter unit 'l embodies a longitudinally extending endless chain I5 disposed with its runs one above the other, and with the upper run supported from the main longitudinal beam 8, at spaced points, by rollers le. The endless chain I5 is trained at opposite ends about an upper sprocket I1 and a lower sprocket IS; the latter being mounted in connection with the adjacent end of the beam 8 by means including a chain tightener I9. The upper sprocket Il is fixed to an output spindle 2d leading from a universal joint, 2| the upper end portion of the main longitudinal beam 8 being fitted with a rearwardly projecting attachment plate 22 which is fixed to the outer or universal section 23 of the joint 2l. With this arrangement, the universal joint 2| serves both as the rear end support for the endless chain-cutter 1 and the drive for the output spindle 2i? which carries the upper sprocket Il.

In turn, the universal joint 2l is carried on the outer end of, and actuated by a driven shaft 24 journaled lengthwise on the outer portion of the Outrigger boom 3. The inner portion of said boom 3 has another driven shaft 25 journaled thereon, and adjacent ends of the shafts 2t and 25 are coupled by a toggle joint 215.

The shaft 25 is driven by a bevel gear assembly 2l journaled on the rearwardly projecting frame, and said assembly derives its motion from a counter-shaft 3c. Such counter-shaft 28 is driven by an endless chain and sprocket unit 29 from a rearward extension Sli of the tractors power take-off shaft; the shaft extension 3d being 3 journaled on the frame 2 parallel to the countershaft 28.

With this arrangement, the upper sprocket l'I is driven from the tractor in an eiective manner, yet without restricting adjustment of the endless chain-cutter unit 'i up or down, cr laterally, as

working conditions may require. rIhis universal -f adjustment of the unit 'I is obtained, ofcourse, Y Y

through the medium of the universal joint 2i.

The endless chain I 5 is fitted; along the length thereof, with a multiplicity of longitudinally spaced shear blades 3 I, which blades are attached to adjacent chain links by blade Shanks 31a. The blades 3l are parallel to the chain runs, but eX- -tend in a rearward direction diagonally of their line of travel, with alternate blades projecting laterally opposite.

The endless chain I5 is driven in a direction such that the lower run moves upwardly and rearwardly; such lower run traveling in a trough 32 which is open on the inner side.

At its upper end the chain I5 and the upper sprocket Il' are disposed in a hood 33 with which the trough 32 communicates, and which hood is open at its rear end, as at 34.

At its forward end portion the endless chaincutter unit l has a pair of longitudinally spaced stand-off rods 35 affixed to the main longitudinal beam 8 and projecting laterally inwardly. At `their inner ends the stand-off rods 35 are aflixed to a longitudinal guide skid 3S which parallels the beam 8, but in laterally inwardly spaced relation.

When the above described ditch cleaner is in Vuse, the endless chain-cutter unit 'I is lowered into the ditch by the cable Il under the control of the front end winch I4; such unit being lowered until it extends down the Wall E of the ditch bank to the ditch bottom 3l. In this position of adjustment of the chain-cutter unit l, the longitudinal guide skid 3S slides lengthwise along the wall 5 of the ditch bank E as the tractor I traverses the latter; thus maintaining the unit 'I in proper working position relative to said wa-ll. The endless chain I5 is driven at a substantial speed, and as the tractor I moves forward, the adjacent shear blades 3| on the lower run of said chain l5 work upwardly and rearwardly on Vthe Wall 5 with a shearing or shaving action, effectively cutting the weeds and debris from such wall. All of the blades in the lower run of the chainV I5 then carry the cut weeds and debris rearwardly in the trough 32. From the trough 32 the weeds andV debris, now chopped into small pieces by said blades, are thrown forcefully out of the open rear end 31% of the hood 33, being distributed widely and evenly on top of the ditch bank 6.

In addition to its action as a weed or debris cutter or chopper, the endless chain-cutter unit l smooths the wall 5 of bank 6, as is desirable in the propervmaintenance of the ditch.

When the ditch cleaner is not in use, the endless chain-cutter unit 'I is raised to a horizontal position, and at which time it is substantially parallel to the tractor; this being the raised, transport position of the device, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

The described ditch cleaner works rapidly and positively, upon advance of the tractor I, to clean and smooth the adjacent wall 5 of the ditch bank S, with all of the cut-away material being effectively disposed of to the rear of the tractor; the device thus being very practical in use.

Also, by reason of its simplified design, the ditch cleaner can be mounted in connection with a tractor with a minimum of structural addition.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fuliills the objects cf the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specication sets forth the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. Y

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A tractor-mounted ditch cleaner comprising an elongated endless driven chain-cutter unit adapted to vextend lengthwise of the tractor to one side of the same and to depend into a ditch in longitudinally inclined scraping engagement with the near side wall of the ditch, said unitrinclud-V ing a longitudinal frame, a vertically adjustable flexible suspension member between the tractor' and the frame of the unit adjacent the lower end thereof, and means including a universal joint supporting the upper end of the frame from the tractor; the cutter chain of the unit including blades facing' said ditch wall; and a laterally exl tending longitudinal skid on the frame of the unit facing and adapted to engage said ditch wall so as to maintain the upper run and blades thereon away from the ditch wall when the blades on the lower run engage the same.

2. A structure as in claim 1, in which the wall engaging face of the skid, is convexly curved in cross section.

3. In a ditch cleaner, a tractor-mounted endless cutter unit having vertically spaced cutting runs, means between the tractor and unit to support the latter in a ditch alongside `and lengthwise of the tractor with said lower run in longitudinally inclined scraping engagement with the near side wall of the ditch and so that the upper end of said run is above the surfa'ce being acted on by said lower run, means to drive the cutter unit from the tractor so that the lower run moves upwardly, and a longitudinal trough mounted Jwith the unit and extending under said lower run in cooperating relation therewith substantially from end to end thereof and to an upper termination above ground level; said trough being mainly open on the side facing said side wa-ll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 918,016 Dalton Apr. 13, 1909 1,074,480 Ward Sept. 30, 1913 1,397,679 Dunlap Nov. 22, 1921 1,414,832 Rossi May 2, 1922 1,703,320 Penote Feb. 26, 1929 1,733,427 Ruth Oct. 29, 1929 1,745,090 Geithle Jan. 28, 1930 1,880,807 Clark Oct. 4, 1932 1,892,495 Vorthrnann Dec. 27, 1932 

